Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Re-encounter with the Female Ghost

Wang was stunned by the scream, frozen in place, too scared to move. Her mind was filled with only one thought: it really was the Fox Immortal! The Fox Immortal had come to eat people!

Gu Miao, on the other hand, was ready to charge out with his sword, but Fu Ming stopped him with a firm grip. "Miao Miao! We still don't know what the situation is outside, don't act impulsively!"

Gu Miao replied, "But that person just now—"

Fu Ming said, "Precisely because he might have gotten into trouble, we cannot rush into danger without understanding the situation."

Gu Miao bit his lip, seeming to be convinced.

At this moment, Wang slowly regained her senses.

She considered herself a simple country woman with little knowledge. Her heart was in turmoil, and she instinctively wanted to rely on others for a decision.

Standing in front of her were Fu Ming and Gu Miao, the perfect choices. Though young, their attire suggested they were from an esteemed background, surely well-traveled and knowledgeable.

Wang spoke to them: "Sirs, do you know what’s going on here?"

Fu Ming and Gu Miao looked at her. Unlike the butcher who had a face full of roughness and looked clearly volatile, Wang, in the eyes of Prince Jiuwang and Young Master Gu, was the type of person who, though not someone they would want to be too close to, could still converse with them in a kind manner.

Their expressions softened, and one of them said, "We don’t know either, that’s why we’re anxious!"

The other said, "We were just sleeping in Guang’an City. When we woke up, we found everyone gone—guards, servants, all disappeared. That’s when we came out to search. And then, we only met people at the door, you and that man earlier."

Wang listened, her emotions conflicted with both worry and fear. She still longed to go home but was terrified by the things the butcher had encountered. As she weighed her options, a figure gradually approached from deeper within the mansion.

The person introduced himself as "Uncle An," the housekeeper of the Chang Residence. Along the way, he spoke to Wang, Fu Ming, and the others in similar words to those of the servant who had brought Bai and Mei earlier.The house has been plagued by deaths, and every time someone dies, there is water. The people inside the house are terrified, so they called for someone to perform rituals.

At this moment, Wang was filled with worry. She spoke to Bai and Mei, saying, "I am just an old woman, how can I perform rituals? When I asked him about it, he only said I shouldn’t be modest... sigh!"

Wang didn’t feel she was being modest. But in a place like this, facing the possible existence of the "Fox Immortal," she didn’t dare to say much. When she noticed the housekeeper, Uncle An, glance at her with a half-smile, she quickly closed her mouth.

Then, Bai Zhengliu remarked, "Sister, I see the food on the table is quite rich, but you haven’t touched a single bite."

Wang quickly responded, "How could I dare to touch it! Since the Immortal is hosting, who knows what’s on this table."

She had used this reasoning to advise Fu Ming and Gu Miao, but after hearing it, the two of them were silent for a moment before they started laughing.

While laughing, they said things like "She’s just a country woman" and "She doesn’t know what’s good." Wang listened, half realizing that she couldn’t convince them and half feeling their disdain. She stopped speaking.

Instead, she looked at the two young men in front of her, thinking: I wonder what their plan is.

At this moment, Bai Zhengliu casually said to Mei Yinghan, "Brother Mei, I still have some dry food. Sister’s words make sense. For the next few days, why don’t we just make do with those dry rations?"

Mei Yinghan nodded. "I had the same thought." He then turned to Wang, "Sister, why don’t you eat some? Though it’s just some rough flatbread, it will barely suffice."

For Wang, this was an unexpected kindness. However, the kindness from Bai and Mei made her feel awkward, and she said, "In this cursed place, who knows how long we’ll have to stay. Even if you have food, it won’t last long..."

Bai Zhengliu smiled. "If each of us eats a little less, three or four days should be no problem."

Wang thought to herself, three or four days...It still felt like it wouldn't be enough.

But seeing the attitudes of the two young men, Wang realized that if she didn't agree, they would probably keep talking.

She silently made up her mind. She would accept the food from the two young men, but would eat just a little bit every day. This way, when they run out of supplies later, she would be able to help out.

If others were kind to her, she should also be kind to them.

After they came to an agreement, the three of them waited in the main hall for a while. However, neither Fu Ming, Gu Miao, nor the servants and housekeeper who had been there earlier appeared again.

Both Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan were not the type to sit idly by. They decided to use this time to fetch some dry rations. Afterward, they would go to the place where the lady was rumored to have drowned.

Naturally, Wang joined them.

She could tell that if anyone had a plan, it was these two young men. By following them, her chances of safely returning home would be higher.

Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan also didn’t feel comfortable leaving Wang alone. Seeing her follow, they intentionally slowed their pace.

Along the way, they weren’t just heading towards the courtyard where they had stayed; they were also observing their surroundings.

Soon, many details revealed themselves to Bai and Mei. They gradually realized that their ability to travel directly from the governor's residence to the Chang residence was probably not a coincidence.

There seemed to be some connection between the Chang residence and the governor's residence. They recognized many familiar corridors, rock gardens, and water features, but there were also differences. As Mei Yinghan put it: "It’s as if the governor's residence we live in was renovated from the foundation of the Chang residence."

Bai Zhengliu didn’t comment on this. Having grown up in the mountains and later entered society, he didn’t care much for the finer details of life. He couldn’t distinguish the intricate carvings on the corridors or tell the difference between good and bad craftsmanship.

Mei Yinghan wasn’t concerned either, and continued: "Next time we meet someone from the Chang residence, we should ask them about this. From their perspective, what time period do they think this place is from?"Bai Zhengliu nodded, remembering this point.

Before long, the two of them arrived at the "Wangyue Residence" where Fu Ming and Bai Zhengliu had stayed recently.

As they stepped inside, Bai Zhengliu thought of another question: "Fu Ming's bodyguards never leave his side by more than three paces. But this time, not a single one of them came along."

Mei Yinghan pondered, "Could it be that there’s something in common among all of us who have arrived here?"

Bai Zhengliu looked at him, then glanced at Wang.

Wang had been carefully listening to the conversation between the two young men. When Mei Yinghan mentioned "commonality," she also began to think, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t figure it out.

Bai Zhengliu didn’t have an answer either. But he managed to come up with a few possibilities and asked Wang: "Sister, you said your home is in Xujia Village. Where did your ancestors come from?"

Wang replied, "My maternal family is from Wangjia Village across the river. Our ancestors have lived there for generations."

Bai Zhengliu asked again, "Then, Sister, have you ever learned any exercises to strengthen your body?"

Wang thought hard for a moment. "Strengthen my body... No, I haven’t. I’ve just worked all day, so my strength is decent."

But no matter how "decent," it didn’t compare to getting older and gradually becoming less capable. Just standing by the stove for a while would make her back hurt.

Bai Zhengliu sighed. Well, it seemed their ancestors weren’t from the same place, and they hadn’t unintentionally practiced any kind of technique.

Mei Yinghan comforted him, "Let’s keep track of all the ideas for now. As we learn more, we’ll sort them out one by one. Maybe we’ll discover something. Didn’t we do the same when we were tracking down the Blood Demon Ancestor?"

Bai Zhengliu smiled. "True."They picked up Bai Zhengliu’s bundle at Wangyue Residence and then headed to the Wutong Pavilion, which had been arranged for Mei and Gu.

For the next few days, Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan weren’t planning to get any restful sleep. Wang, on the other hand, would likely need a place to rest.

And then, Fu Ming and Gu Miao…

Although those two had committed terrible acts, the current situation was quite strange. If possible, Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan still hoped to find them and get them to settle down, working together.

After all, Gu Miao still had work to do. As for Fu Ming, his identity was what it was. If something went wrong, even if they managed to leave the “Chang Residence,” trouble would likely follow.

Thinking about all of this, Bai Zhengliu immediately began to feel a headache. Mei Yinghan seemed equally helpless and said, "When they ran out of the main hall, it seemed like they went east. We might just bump into them. Also, I’ve noticed that those young servants and the steward always seem to know where we are. If necessary, we can ask them."

Bai Zhengliu replied, "That seems to be the only way. Mei brother, next, we—"

Mei Yinghan interrupted, "We’ll head north."

Bai Zhengliu nodded.

This was also his plan. Although the young servant didn’t explicitly say where the Madam of the Chang Residence had fallen into the water, from the way they walked around the residence, it seemed that the layout of this place wasn’t much different from the Governor’s Mansion. The place where Madam Chang could have been by the water was most likely one location: the garden to the north of the house.

The two turned in that direction. What surprised them was that Wang’s physical endurance was actually quite good; she followed along without even getting winded. She even volunteered to help carry the two young gentlemen’s bundles.

Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan both declined. But seeing Wang’s downcast expression, Mei Yinghan added, "If we truly need help, we won’t be polite to you, Sister."

Wang’s mood shifted from worry to joy.

Bai Zhengliu then asked her, "Speaking of which, before you came to the Chang Residence, did you encounter anything in the mist?"Wang knew that this question was important. Although she was terrified, she still tried her best to recall, "What did I encounter... Actually, not much. It was just a grayish-white mist, and as I walked, I ended up at the gate of the residence."

Bai Zhengliu approached the topic from another angle, "But Sister, the ground in the city is different from the outside. Although it’s all dirt roads, the roads here are much more even and solid. Even on rainy days, there won't be muddy puddles everywhere."

Wang was stunned, "That’s true."

She began to think hard, trying to remember at which point the road beneath her feet had changed. As she thought, the memories flooded back.

Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan did not interrupt her. They lowered their voices and said, "According to 'Ping Ge,' the person we encountered yesterday was Madam Chang?"

Only Madam Chang seemed to be soaked through with water.

Mei Yinghan replied, "I don't think so."

"..." Bai Zhengliu smiled, "I don’t think so either."

Mei Yinghan added, "We need to figure out who that person is."

Bai Zhengliu's smile turned into a faint, cold smirk. "Since they ‘invited’ us to do their bidding, yet speak so vaguely and inconsistently..." Clearly, even based on the words of the young servants, they didn’t seem to have any real intention.

At this moment, the three of them heard a sudden scream ahead.

Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan’s expressions changed drastically. They immediately identified, "It’s Gu Lang!" "It’s Junior Brother!"Wang was still coming to her senses from Gu Miao’s shout when two bundles were suddenly added to her arms, accompanied by two instructions: "Sister, I’ve entrusted these things to you! Quickly find a place to hide!"

Wang was left completely confused. She only had time to utter a soft "Hey," before she saw the two young men leap away swiftly.

She stood frozen, watching the figures of Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan disappearing into the distance. For a moment, her mind was filled with the thought, "If only I could be like these heroes..." As that thought passed, her body seemed to grow lighter. But then she remembered that she was just an ordinary peasant woman. How could she think of such youthful, heroic things?

The lightness in her body quickly turned back into heaviness. Wang shuddered, hugging the two bundles tightly, and hurriedly sought a place to hide.

The scene shifted back to Bai Zhengliu and Mei Yinghan.

The two of them followed the sound and soon arrived at a beautiful garden.

Unknowingly, they had already reached the garden within Chang Residence.

They didn’t even need to search for the pond. Gu Miao was right there, kneeling on the ground, desperately trying to pull the half-submerged Fu Ming out of the water, but he had not succeeded.

He could even feel Fu Ming’s struggles.

This did not reassure Gu Miao, thinking "at least Fu Ming is still alive." Instead, it filled him with greater fear!

The fact that Fu Ming was struggling meant that he didn’t want to be immersed in the water! But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pull him out. What did that mean? It meant that something else in the water was pulling Fu Ming!

Gu Miao was filled with terror, and his grip gradually loosened.

He remembered what the housekeeper had said earlier about the string of deaths in the residence, and the "thing" that had made all the servants silent with fear... A word appeared in Gu Miao’s mind, a word he was too afraid to think about, but his mouth had already silently whispered it.

Ghost!They encountered a ghost!

This Chang Residence was a haunted place! Even the butler, An Bo, who had spoken to them, might not even be alive.

Think about it—if he were really alive, how could he have appeared in a place that clearly resembled the Guang'an County Governor’s Residence, acting as that strange butler?

It seemed that he and Fu Ming’s group had entered a place where the boundary between life and death blurred. If they weren’t careful, they too might end up as the next victims!

With that thought, Gu Miao’s strength in pulling Fu Ming weakened completely.

A water ghost always seeks a substitute. It was one thing for the ghost to favor Fu Ming, but once the water ghost had set its sights on him, Gu Miao didn’t want to throw himself into the mix. Especially considering how much Fu Ming loved him, Fu Ming might even be willing to die for him—

He didn’t finish his thought.

Because a long blade suddenly flew past him, stabbing directly into the water in front of Fu Ming!

Fu Ming, already weakened, struggled harder. Others couldn’t see it, but he could. Beneath the water, the ghostly woman, whose face was swollen and pale with hatred, was pierced by the glowing blade. The look of vengeance on her face instantly turned into one of terror.

Although he didn’t know exactly what had happened, Fu Ming was saved!

"Splash!"

As the ghost weakened, Mei Yinghan grabbed Fu Ming by the back of his shirt and pulled him up from the water!

The Ninth Prince collapsed to the ground, his body half soaked, his face disheveled. There was no trace of the former charming and elegant demeanor.

He was in a daze, not knowing what time it was. At this moment, he saw Bai Zhengliu softly utter "Eh," and with one hand holding the twenty-eight generals, the other reaching into the water."Thanks for saving me," Fu Ming threw aside his previous dissatisfaction and resentment toward Bai Zhengliu, shouting, "Zhengliu! Don't—"

Before he could finish his sentence.

Bai Zhengliu withdrew his hand, his fingers gripping something.

Author's note:

What did Xiao Bai pick up? (rubs chin)